This invention relates to human interfaces for the control of complex machinery, and, more particularly, to computer controlled systems wherein the user can specify a number of operating parameters to control machine operation.
Prior art human interfaces characterized by either control panels or keyboard input systems coupled with orthographic (text) video displays. For complex control processes, the control panel becomes a large area composed of various buttons, knobs, indicator lights, and perhaps meters. This array of elements can be quite baffling to the untrained user, and is thus particularly unsuitable for the control of devices intended for casual usage such as the convenience copier.
The use of a common orthographic video display device or printer mechanism, coupled with a keyboard for user input, requires the user to interface with the computer via a dialog whose nature is determined as much by the computer's requirements for input-output protocols as by the operational requirements of the machinery being controlled. This type of user interface typically requires that the user learn a set of commands and then type these commands as required to initiate machine operations. As before, the casual user is effectively discouraged from using the system due to the difficulty of learning its control procedures.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a user interface having the attributes of simplicity (so that the casual user would not be discouraged from using the machine) while still offering the full extent of control capabilities required by the trained operator in order to extract full operational advantage from the machine.